Nancy Smith
December 01, 2022 PCO licence 0 Comment
Do you want to become a private hire driver in the UK? For that, you will need to have a valid PCO licence from Transport for London TfL and to get the licence, you will need to pass a couple of tests. If you fulfil the eligibility criteria to apply for a Public Carriage Office licence (PCO licence), i.e. applicant must be older than 21 years and hold the UK driving licence for at least three years, then you can apply for the PCO licence online. However, once you have filled the form and submitted the application for the licence, you will have to go through an eligibility, identity, medical and criminal record check to ensure you are fit to work as a private hire driver. Moreover, every applicant must pass the following mandatory tests to get a PCO licence:
  • The English Assessment test
  • The Topographical test
  • Security, Equality, and Regulatory Understanding (SERU Assessment)
The Topographical skill assessment test is taken to ensure that you can locate the routes between various points and have the ability to understand maps. This blog will help you in topographical test preparation, which is mandatory to pass if you want to get a PCO licence.

What is Topographical Skill Assessment?

If we put it in simple words, a Topographical skill assessment is taken to ensure each driver has the necessary ability to find locations and understanding to use a map to navigate between two points. Topographical test preparation is essential because failure to achieve the required test score will lead to your PCO licence application’s rejection. At Haward Trainings, we help people with topographical test preparation with our detailed training and topographical mock test.

The first thing to understand for topographical test preparation is the test format; this test is taken either electronically or on paper as per your preference. It is divided into the following four sections:

Section 1

Knowledge of Index

This section tests your knowledge of using indexing of an Atlas, primarily testing your ability to find different places in London within an Atlas. To test your index knowledge, you’ll be given an Altas and asked to find different areas or places in the index. In addition, you will have to note the grid reference and page number of a given location in your answer.

In any index, all the places and locations are usually arranged in alphabetical order, so you have to scroll until you find the right location on the Atlas.

Section 2

Using a Map

This section will test your ability to find directions from one place to another within an Atlas. You will be provided with an Altas, where you have to find the provided starting and ending points. This section is easier than the indexing section as you simply have to point out whether the destination is at the starting point’s North, East, South, or West. Again, you can quickly excel if you practice with topographical mock tests beforehand.

Section 3

Ability to Plan a Route

This section is a bit challenging and weighs the most in your final score, as your skills as a PCO driver will be tested in this section. This section will test your knowledge of route planning between the provided starting point and a destination. This section sounds similar to the map finding but is more complex. You don’t just have to give directions but plan a route; in fact, find the best route between the starting point and destination while ensuring that all the traffic rules are being observed. It’s essential to arrive precisely at the pinpoint of the destination and not a nearby location. If you violate any of the conditions, your points will be deducted, resulting in a negative marking. This section is a bit tricky and has more weightage in the final score; therefore, it is essential to practice it the most during topographical test preparation.

Section 4

Using Compass Points

This last section will test your knowledge about using a compass. To breeze through this section, you must have good knowledge of using a compass, or this can be proved difficult for you. This section also needs you to be comfortable with the directions as you have to answer some scenario-based questions using compass points. For example, where will you be now if you start at Point X and go two streets east and three streets north? Along with finding the direction, you’ll have to pinpoint the destination on Atlas with respect to the starting point. You can also get a hand on this by practising it on the topographical mock test.

Topographical Mock Test

There are various topographical mock tests available for preparation. We at Haward Training offer Topographical mock tests designed by experts with real questions. Mock tests can help you practice and prepare completely for the Topographical test. Our topographical mock tests are highly effective in preparation and are used by many trainees for topographical test preparations who pass the test with excellent scores. Additionally, we also provide one-to-one assistance for the PCO licence qualification training. So if you want to get your PCO licence, get an English language assessment and topographical test preparation with us, and we’ll make sure you pass the tests without difficulty.